Town of Princeton, Mass. – May 16, 2016 – 5 PM
BOARD OF SELECTMEN – Regular Mtg. Minutes
5:03 PM Stan opened the meeting and Nina went over a priority list of money action-items voted at ATM. Edith recommended focusing on first four projects, as some have a deadline for expending the monies. The most urgent four projects are: Repairi/replace Fire Station #2 roof, as funding expires Dec. 31; T.P. School floor tile replacement which must be done in summer; Bagg Hall chimney system repair; and, Princeton Center life safety upgrades including fire/smoke/CO alarms, emergency lighting and signage. Stan was concerned about how much time Nina can devout to this list of projects without being overburdened. At the request of the Board, she agreed to come up with an estimated number of hours in which each project would require her attention.
Board discussed failure of the Parcel D acquisition at Fieldstone Farm, to be used for future municipal uses. They noted complaints from residents about ‘secret meetings’ as the principals negotiated in executive session for almost 10 months. Some residents believed the $250,000 town contribution was enough, but that was strictly conservation—not land for the town’s own development. Edith stressed the wisdom of the Parcel D purchase in long-term planning, as “pay a little now and save a lot later.” She pointed out that there wasn’t enough time to inform voters about the need for future town land. If BOS brings the purchase before a town meeting again, Jon suggested getting a real buy-in from residents;
get the town’s “doers” involved, and utilize presenters who are neutral, not BOS. He brought up the concept of getting an option-to-buy from the Fieldstone group, using available funds up to $5,000 as an end-of-year transfer—allowed by a vote of Selectmen and Advisory Board.
Stan led some discussion on the fact that the Infrastructure Stabilization article was not funded, and considered options for contributing to it. The group proposed an informational meeting or ‘listening’ session to discuss infrastructure expenditures. There may be an extra meeting that HKT Architects owes the town. Holding a charrette was discussed, but selectmen said it might be more effective to present all the options with a potential road map. The group also considered having HKT review the feasibility of acquiring the Fieldstone Parcel D.
5:45 PM Jon moved and Edith seconded and all in favor to authorize the sale of a cemetery lot for $600. in Woodlawn to the Stimsons, and two lots for $1,200. in Woodlawn to Nancy Hubbard.
Group discussed a BOS goal setting retreat and agreed to have it in June. Nina envisions separate goals for BOS and the T.A., and instead of working off last year’s goals, she suggests adopting a zero-based goals list that starts from scratch. Nina suggested and the Board agreed that Nina would research how other towns handle goal-setting.
In correspondence, upcoming meetings of CMRPC were noted, and letters that John Wilson sent to two property owners. Announced that Monty Tech awards & graduation will be May 24 & 25.
The Memorial Day Committee requests a selectmen to speak at the ceremony/parade and Jon volunteered as Stan is out that day and Edith not available.
6:17 PM Patsy Mollica asked about getting protection for stone walls in town, as roadside walls are sometimes poached for stones. State law prohibits disturbing stone walls that act as boundaries, such as along roadways, but enforcement is seldom possible. Patsy & John Mollica were recipients of Citizen of the Year Award at the ATM, and Stan announced that the townspeople appreciate all their contributions. Edith noted they have perpetually been working on boards, volunteering time and effort out of the limelight, behind the scenes. John has been on MontyTech School Committee over 25 years.
Patsy presented selectmen with a Thank You card and candy from Priscilla in Gardner, for their vote to name them Citizen of the Year.
6:22 PM Jon moved and Edith seconded, all in favor to accept minutes from April 25 (corrected version), May 2, 5 and 10, including executive sessions not to be released.
6:30 PM All in favor to adjourn.
Respectfully submitted, Marie Auger, Admin. Assistant
BOS Referenced Documents: Goals for BOS from 2015
Marie Auger
Administrative Assistant
Planning Department
978-464-2100
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